this morning on "first look," nasty weather, including a chance of strong tornadoes and thunderstorms could be on the way for christmas day.

a holiday tragedy in new york state as firefighters rush into a deadly trap. plus, the latest on former president george h.w. bush's health. where is netflix when you need it most? and the queen goes 3-d? hmm. >> very merry christmas to you. i'm veronica de la cruz. parts of the country are waking up to a white christmas this morning for the third time in four years, a major winter storm has made its way across the country christmas week and this nasty weather system col whip up dangerous conditions in the southeast. nbc meteorologist dylan dreyer has been tracking the storm for us. >> we're talking bad because it's a little bit of everything. we are looking at a severe storm certainly possible. we've already had a tornado warning posted down through northern acadia parish in louisiana. that has now since been lifted but we are going to see more severe weather break out all across the gulf coast states with a good chance of seeing some potential for tornados.

we also have snow falling all across new england right now, heaviest in upstate new york. we still have the wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain back through the hartford area, and that is going to be an issue for anyone traveling early this morning. we also though have to keep an eye out for these storms where we do have a severe thunderstorm watch posted and eventually we will see severe storm warnings get issued i'd say all across louisiana. all of those flooshz of light, that's the cloud to ground lightning we're seeing. so very strong storms back through louisiana and up into northeastern texas, as well. then you go a little further north. we're talking about snow. we have winter weather warnings and advisories and watches, basically from texas all the way up into northern new england. we are slowly going to see this thing start to the spread eastward. however, for the gulf coast area, we're going to see the biggest threat for tornadoes. even the shading of yellow from eastern texas all the way into western south carolina, we have the potential of very strong

storms with wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour and also the chance of seeing a lot of cloud to ground lightning, as well. parts of oklahoma picking up 3 to 6 inches of snow. from arkansas all the way up into northern new england, we could see 3 to 6 inches of snow but that darker shade of purple is an area right through buffalo into cleveland and erie, pennsylvania, we could see some spots coming in with a foot of snow. we're really talking about everything with this big storm system. >> we'll keep our fingers crossed. thank you, dylan. folks outside the upstate new york city of rochester are still in shock in morning after a twisted holiday tragedy that will left two firefighters dead and two others hospitalized on christmas eve. nbc's chris pallone has this one. >> reporter: a sleepy vacation community northeast of rochester, new york, is in shock after a gunman lured firefighters to a neighborhood and shot them. investigators in webster, new york, say four firefighters responded to reports of a house

and car on fire around 5:30 monday morning. two in a fire truck, two others in their own cars. >> it appears that it was a trap, that there was a car and a house that were engulfed in flame. >> one of the men was able to retreat to safety after being shot. a s.w.a.t. team in armored vehicle retrieved the other three. by then tomas ca too far za and mike chiapperini were dead. police evacuated 30 people from the area. the shooter was found shot dead near the scene. police say he killed himself. he's been identified as william spengler, a man with a lengthy criminal history. he served time for killing his grandmother. throughout the day, townspeople remembered the fallen firefighters as they tried to make sense of the senseless. >> you know, these people, they're just always there four, you know? you just take them for granted. you don't know. >> it's really heartbreaking for

these families and these people. and what any have to go through and so close to a holiday where we're supposed to love each other. >> firefighters' families snow loved ones put their lives on the line every day but could never imagine something like this would happen. >> they don't expect to be shot and killed. >> a time which should be filled with joy has been replaced with sorrow. chris pallone, nbc news. former president george h.w. bush took a turn for the worse last night. he's developed a fever and will be spending christmas in the hospital. his doctors now say they are cautiously optimistic that mr. bush who is 88 will recover. he has been hospitalized since thanksgiving suffering from bronchitis. well, as members of congress spend christmas at home they are hearing from their constituents about guns. for and against further restrictions. it is shaping up to be one of the next year's biggest battles.

nbc news justice correspondent pete williams has details. >> few things illustrate the nation's divide over guns as sharply as this. the debate over high capacity magazines that can hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. on the website of brownell's, the world's biggest supplier of gun schizo, 20 and 30-round magazines are featured stocking suffers. the company's president says sales in one 72 hour period equalled what's usually sold in 3 1/2 years. connecticut state police say adam lanza used several 30-round clips on a semi-automatic rifle to shoot the 26 victims at sandy hook elementary. >> these mass killings have to stop and we have do everything we can. it will include looking at how many bullets do you need in a magazine in a semi-automatic weapon. >> on "meet the press," david gregory asked the nra's chief spokesman, why not bring back the ten-year ban that expired in 2004. >> i don't believe that's going

to make one difference. there are so many different ways to evade that. you had that for ten years. it was on the books. columbine occurred right in the middle of it. it didn't make any difference. >> the prospect of a ban on magazines or the kind of guns called assault weapons have people in atlanta standing in line for more than an hour at a gun show. customers at this shooting ranging in arizona say those weapons are widely used by sportsmen. >> guys that shoot clays, guys that shoot trophy animals, you know, a lot of them are done with semi-automatic hunting rifles. >> a group representing mothers says it will fight hard for a ban. >> 80 million moms are just not going to let the 4 million members of the nra drive the discussion on this. >> both sides are prepared for the biggest battle over gun control in 20 years. pete williams, nbc news, washington. >> what is open today if you need to get out of the house? and an epic fail on one of the biggest movie watching weeks of the year. your first look at this morning's business headlines is

straight ahead. plus a look at which new flicks are hitting the big screen. you are watching "first look" on msnbc.

happy holidays. welcome back to "first look." some stories making news this morning and some sad news to report to you. charles durning who was often called the king of character actors has died in new york at the age of 89. durning was nominated for an oscar for his over the top performance as a corrupt governor in the 1982 it's the best little whorl house in texas." a year later he got a nomination for "to be or not to be." jack klugman died monday afternoon in los angeles at the age of 90. clug man starred as a medical examiner in the tv series quincy," but he is perhaps best known for his role as felix unger's sloppy roommate oscar madison in the tv version of the who had couple". at the vatican, the pope led his midnight mass at 10:00 p.m. to allow himself more rest before his big christmas day speech.

the pontiff told worshipers that he's worried there is no room left for god in our hectic and technology-driven lives. >> in the afghan capital of kabul, u.s. and other mate toe soldiers celebrated christmas eve away from their families and friends with a special meal and candlelight service. here is one soldier's take on not being home for the holidays. >> you know, this job comes with a price. and many of the soldiers, they realize that price. so even though we'd like to be with our families we realize the importance of what we're doing here and we believe in it. >> while the first family vacations in hawaii, first lady michelle obama took phone calls from some lucky kids who are tracking the progress of santa claus through a site set up by norad. as it turns out, a record number of those kids and adults were looking for realtime updates on st. nick. according to norad, as of midnight, trackers answered more than 111,000 calls. that is 4,000 more than last christmas. pretty cool.

major markets ended christmas eve on the downside, but who could be gloomy with santa on hand to ring the bell. also grammy award winner chris botti did jazz up the stock exchange with a little christmas year. >> consumer reports estimates some 17 million shoppers were out yesterday with gift cards. wine and liquor topping last minute flicks. netflix suffered a massive outage which it blamed on the cloud network. acer is reportedly looking to launch a $99 tablet early next year. >> and hey, if are looking for a very last-minute gift or maybe just a bite to eat this morning, starbucks, ihop and walgreen's should all be open today. it will be a short merry christmas for members of congress with the country perched on the precipice of what some are calling fiscal disaster. lawmakers return this week to what looks like an increasingly

impossible task of trying to prevent across the board tax hikes and spending cuts. jennifer johnson has details. >> reporter: a peaceful capitol hill for another few days. congress is expected to come back later this week as america gets closer to the fiscal cliff. some lawmakers are now calling for a small scale deal as a temporary fix. >> i think it's impossible to get any kind of grand bargain or comprehensive package. i think we're dealing right now with whether or not we can put off the increases in tax rates. that's really all we can deal with right now. >> the house will stand in recess subject to the call of the chair. >> reporter: congress recessed alf republicans rejected house speaker jane bahner's compromise. he proposed letting tax cuts expire for those making over $1 million a year. other republicans say it's time for a deal. >> i agree with him. i don't think we ought to increase taxes on anyone. however, we're now at a point where we're not going to get what we think is right for our economy and our country. >> with congress coming back, the president will also reportedly cut short his holiday vacation in hawaii.

democrats hope mr. obama will continue to fight for a complete agreement, not just a temporary patch. >> i definitely hope that he can and will continue to push for as big a deal as possible, but you've got to remember now, we're just a few days away. >> if no deal is reached, over 2 million americans will lose their jobless benefits and workers will see a 2% cut in their take home pay as social security payroll taxes go up january 1st. jennifer johnson, nbc news, washington. >> well, around this time of year, there is a big surprise that happens on the rockefeller center ice skating rink outside our nbc news world head quarters. it happens about half a dozen times a day every day. nbc's erica hill has the story. >> right outside our doors at rockefeller center, home to the country's most celebrated christmas tree, we often hear an

plows th applause this time of year. and when we do, we know it means something special is happening. >> yeah. >> the reason for those moments is people like summit chang flew 4,000 miles from the netherlands just to be here. >> keep skating. >> he's about to give his girlfriend rina the surprise of her life. >> she doesn't have a clue. she's been waiting for this for a long time. >> she's been dropping hints for you too around the house. >> yeah, she does. she puts books on my pillow with wedding dresses and rings. >> summit is going to propose. he chose this spot because it's the same place from rina's favorite movie scene. >> i know i don't deserve a christmas. >> in "home alone," at the end, kevin stands in front of the tree. that's her favorite moment. so i think why not bring her to the tree. >> you're confident she's going to say yes, right? >> i think she's going to say yes, yeah. i'm still nervous. >> she thinks she's just here to skate beneath that famous tree. but as the rink empties, summit

keeps her on the ice. >> baby, do you want to marry me? [ applause ] >> yeah. >> he looked me very deep into the eyes. i just started crying. >> during the holidays, applause rings out many times every day. >> i love you so much. will you please marry me? >> yes. >> yet another perfect proposal complete with victory lap led on by cheers from the crowd. well, almost perfect. so if you get a chance to visit us here in new york city, listen for the applause. >> i love you. will you marry me? >> erica hill, nbc news, new york.

>> oh, that is so sweet. well, coming up next, britain's queen elizabeth goes 3-d for her holiday message, plus go behind the scenes to see what it takes to decorate the nation's most famous residence. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. [ male announcer ] with over 50 delicious choices of green giant vegetables it's easy to eat like a giant... ♪ and feel like a green giant. ♪ ho ho ho ♪ green giant time for citi price rewind. because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. only citi price rewind automatically searches for the lowest price. and if it finds one, you get refunded the difference. just use your citi card and register your purchase online. have a super sparkly day! ok. [ male announcer ] now all you need is a magic carriage. citi price rewind. start saving at citi.com/pricerewind.

in thailand, santa may be trading in dasher and dancer for a dumbo? elephants dressed in festive gear visited a group of school children to hand out holiday

gifts. students jumped to catch presents and pet the reindeer who also danced for the young audience. the visit was especially heartwarming as many locals lost their homes and belongings to a flood earlier this year. here is your first look at some of the other news going on around america now. at homes, streets and churches of connecticut were dotted with tens of thousands of luminaries christmas eve burning brightly in remembrance of the sappedy hook massacre. a total of 30,000 bags and candles were handed out in packs of 26 to honor each victim. some clever elves at the white house released time lapse video giving a behind the scenes glimpse of all the prep work involved in decorating the executive mansion for the holidays. a total of 85 volunteers from across the country decked the halls with fruit, flowers and holly for the holiday season. when it was all done, the obama's dog beau was called in for a final tour of the festive decor. and not far from there, santa came to town in maryland

for a wet and wild christmas. check this out as he's done then ing this past 27 years, st. nick ditched the sleigh for water skis. the jolly big guy was joined by his knee boarding reindeer and acrobatic elves who flipped their way across the river. very nice. a touching story from greenville, south carolina where one toddler put santa to the test this year. hunter wanted one thing for christmas. his daddy. an army naerd soldiers who has been being is overseas and wasn't due back until january. with the help of a little christmas magic, santa delivered. hunter was reunited with his father just in time for the big day. it has been a big year for the british royal family, especially for the queen who has been celebrating her 60 years on the throne and in honor of that big milestone, the queen is doing something for the very first time this christmas, filming her message in tv. tim ewart from our broadcasting

partner itn has details. >> she is 86 but a very modern monarch. the queen has her own facebook page, a flicker photo stream and the british monarch kiy twitter account. now she's recorded her christmas message in 3-d. >> all those who is saw the achievement and courage. >> even though only a few hundred thousand of its millions of viewers will be able to see it in that format. she has her own diamante 3-d glasses embossed with the letter "q" for queen, and she put them on for a viewing. the london olympics and paralympics were a highlight of this diamond jubilee year. and the christmas message concludes with a special tribute to britain's athletes. >> as london hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the olympic and paralympic games were further inspired by

the skill, dedication, training, and teamwork of our athletes. in pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama. >> the diamond jubilee has left the british monarchy more popular than for many years. officials here say that with the anniversary of the coronation coming up, the queen intends to maintain the momentum next year. tim ewart, itv news, buckingham palace. >> now for entertainment news. hollywood is offering up joyous tidings on the big screen this christmas who day, and they are sewer to appeal to a vid variety of tastes. here is raphael seth with a look at this week's new relations. ♪ i dreamed a dream in time gone by ♪ >> the theaters' longest-running musical gets a bigger stage in

less mississippi ablss xwk. anne hathaway is getting raves as fantine. hugh jackman, russell crowe and amanda seyfert tell the story of broken dreams and lost love in 19th century trans. "les mis" is rated pg. >> you kill people and they give you reward. >> jamie foxx gets a license to kill in "django unchained" playing a southern slave freed two years before the civil war released into the custody of a bounty hunter played by christophe whoolts needs him to identify a couple of killers. once that job is done, they go after leonardo dicaprio who may own the deed to a wife jang goal lost at a slave auction. it is rated r. >> bette midler and lily crystal baby-sit the grandkids in "parental guidance." their old school rules don't fly in today's society. so the grandparents learn it's the surprises you make not the stand you take that keeps the family together. it is rated pg. >> tractor pulls, cow tipping. >> matt damon tries to tip the

balance of power in "promised land." a small town has been hit hard by the economic downturn so it should be easy for him to buy out all those poor farmers so his company can drill for gas. but when everything on john krazynski's farm starts dying, they start raling around. "promised land" is rated r. that's the box office preview, raphael seth, nbc news. >> now for another look at the weather, here is meteorologist dylan dreyer. where was the jud apatow movie? >> you're so bummed about that, right? >> i was planning my mom to see it. >> you still should. i'm sure it's still out there. >> i didn't get to see the review though. >> you make the review, veronica. that's the whole point. >> we're actually looking at a very cold mifs morning all through the dakotas. windchills right now down at around 8 to 10 below zero. very frigid air up that way. we'll see that be an issue all through the dakotas and into minneapolis all day long. we are not going to see a whole lot of relief.

we also have snow about six inches of snow possible parts in parts of oklahoma. you see this dark shade of pink and purple basically from arkansas right up into northern new england, there is the chance for 6 to 12 inches with more than a foot of snow through southern indiana, through ohio into northwestern pennsylvania and through the buffalo, new york area, as well. a closer look shows you right off the great lakes with a little enhancement, we will see perhaps a foot of snow. we also have severe weather breaking out through louisiana where we could see tornadoes develop as we go through the day. we're looking for most of our severe weather down in the southeast and then that snow spreads eastward through the day tomorrow. >> thanks, dylan. a merry christmas. >> to you too. >> i'm veronica de la cruz. this is "first look" on msnbc.

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